


The Forest Through The Trees

by Unaltered



Category: DreamSMP, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Either Phil Watson is Philza or there is very little fiction about Philza, Found Family, Gen, I just don't understand the tagging system for the DreamSMP folks, I'm betting on the first, It's in-universe about the characters, Sincerely hope it's the first, Technoblade makes a small cameo at the end, mostly about Ranboo and Philza, no romance here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:46:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29754270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unaltered/pseuds/Unaltered
Summary: Ranboo looks out over his now-no-longer-new home and talks to Philza about the future.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Ranboo & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	The Forest Through The Trees

**Author's Note:**

> Some timeline details might not be right, I've seen about half of Ranboo's stream, I'm still catching up. I just gotta get this out here.

A massive snowfield. That’s all it is. That’s all it’s supposed to be, it doesn’t have a name. If you’re giving it a name, you’re giving it a status, and with a status comes an honour to protect. 

A snowfield where he lives, that’s what it is. 

A snowfield where he, Phil, and Techno live. That much should be okay. That much shouldn’t bring problems. 

Ranboo looks out over the snowfield, his shack, the cow pen, Techno’s house, he looks at everything from the top of the hill. It almost looks like a single thing,  _ a _ house, instead of multiple, a place that  _ should _ have a name but doesn’t, instead of just a snowfield.

Ranboo looks over the snowfield, Techno is hopping around below the mountain, Phil has disappeared somewhere. He likes seeing them, he likes observing. He doesn’t like being observed, conversations are hard, too much eye contact. Sometimes, he feels like he’ll disappear. 

He likes watching from afar, without them looking back. 

He can hear the soft breeze behind him, and isn’t surprised when the voice joins it.

“Ranboo?”

It’s Phil, lightly landing on his feet, the snow giving just a tiny bit. 

“You good?”

Ranboo nods. “I’m fine.” He tells himself this often, sometimes it’s the truth. Phil moves to sit down next to Ranboo, and Ranboo does nothing to stop him. 

Phil also looks at the snowfield. Ranboo wonders if he sees the place, instead of the field. He wonders if Phil looks at the snowfield, and sees an old version of L’manburg, one that Ranboo never knew. 

Ranboo lived through one conflict, one war, and it has made him bitter. It has made him anxious and careful. Phil has lived through three. He wonders if Phil is anxious, if Phil is the same. 

“Philza?”

Phil makes a noise of acknowledgement. Neither of them look away from the field.

“Does it ever get easier?”

Ranboo doesn’t have to clarify. Phil huffs softly and confidently responds; 

“I don’t know.”

His gaze lowers, and Ranboo can only wonder what Phil is thinking about. L’manburg, Wilbur, Techno, Tommy, Dream. So many things to worry about. So many thoughts that never get easier.

“Maybe it’ll get easier someday.” Phil continues.

“Maybe.” Ranboo echoes.

Ranboo peeks at Phil through his bangs, he is still looking at the field.    
“What’ll you do if it does?” Phil asks him, suddenly turning to face him, his expression a weird mix of hopeful and worried. Ranboo looks away, not wanting to meet Phil’s eyes. 

Is he worried for Ranboo? Is he worried for Techno? Is it something else entirely? Ranboo doesn’t know, and he doesn’t want to speculate anymore.

“I don’t know.” He eventually responds. “I think I knew at some point but I forgot.”

Phil nods and goes back to looking to the field. Ranboo can feel himself calm now that Phil’s gaze is elsewhere. 

“It’s been too long for me to remember what it was.” Ranboo continues, busying his hand by digging some remnants of grass out from under the snow.

They sit in silence, looking out over the field, the forest stretching behind it, and the small peak of rooftops from the village.

Eventually, Phil speaks up. “Maybe it’s time to find something new then.” Even through his instincts Ranboo’s head moves to look at Phil in shock. Find something new? And give up on remembering?

Phil just looks down at Techno, who is still running around, seemingly without a clear purpose.

“You don’t have to remember. You can find a new thing to work towards.” 

And suddenly it clicks; no-one is making him remember. He stares at Phil’s profile for some time, baffled by the new information, by the realisation. “What would you like to do?” Phil asks.

Ranboo searches his thoughts, but comes up blank. “I-” He looks away as Phil goes to look at his face again. “I don’t know. I’ve focussed so much on remembering what I used to want that I haven’t thought about…” He looks down at his hands, still shaping grass and snow. “About what I want now.”

Ranboo impulsively looks back up, aware that Phil is looking at him but too far into his thoughts to remember this. When he does, he’s greeted by a fondness, a small smile coated in a sort of teasing. Ranboo feels a shiver run up his spine from being observed, and while it doesn’t leave, it’s not as present as it used to be. “I want to help you and Techno, and Tubbo and Tommy. “ 

He stills for a moment, looking back to the snowfield, back to his shack. “I just want to live, together with everyone.” 

At this, Phil lets out a laugh. “How bad our life must be! Living is your biggest dream, huh.” He stills again, his eyes closing for a second to center himself. “Well, you’ve already been helping me and Techno greatly, even if Techno refuses to acknowledge it.”

Below the mountain, Techno herds a cow away from the farm and to the house.

“He enjoys your adventures, and he was truly moved when you replaced the Axe of Peace for him.” Phil smiles again, at the field this time. 

Ranboo curls in on himself, bringing his knees to his chest. “I didn’t do anything significant.”

Phil chuckles, “You may not believe you did, but that doesn’t change the fact you did.”

Phil gazes at Ranboo, the other hugging his knees to his chest, looking anywhere but at him, one hand working away at clearing the snow. He feels like Ranboo’ll disappear if he looks away. Phil reaches into his pocket, takes out a hair tie and holds it in front of Ranboo. “Here.” Ranboo looks at the hair tie in confusion. Phil points to his bangs. “They’re blocking your vision, right?” 

Ranboo starts a sentence. It’s fine, really, he’ll manage. But Phil looks like he won’t take no for an answer, so he nods and takes it. “Thanks.” Ranboo looks at the hair tie. He knew both Phil and Techno wore them, but he’s not entirely sure how it would help him. Phil notices his confused stare and chuckles. “A hairclip would’ve been better, but neither me nor Techno have any of those. Our hair’s too long.” The mention of his hair makes Phil’s hand instinctively card through it. “If you need help, ask Techno, I’m sure he’ll gladly teach you how to braid your hair.” Phil imagines the scene; Ranboo asks and Techno will try to object, but without any input from Ranboo he’d convince himself and soon Techno will be sitting in front of Ranboo, braiding the other’s hair. It’s both sweet and funny. “He might object in the beginning, but he’ll come around.” 

Ranboo looks intently at the hair tie; a present. He nods, and responds. “I will. Thank you.” Phil nods in kind. “Good, good, good.” And goes back to looking out over the field. 

From below the mountain Techno yells; 

“Hey! I made cow! Come eat!” Phil laughs as he gets up and replies ”What do you mean you made  _ cow _ ?” 

“I took a cow, and made it into food! Come eat!” Phil laughs again, louder this time, and turns to Ranboo. “I shiver to think of what awaits in our future.”

For a second Ranboo is surprised he’s included and just lingers on Phil’s face with a stupidly baffled expression. When he eventually comes to, he breaks eye-contact and smiles as well. “Terrifying.” 

Philza’s wings stretch and the cold breeze feels sharp this close by, “I’ll see you at the bottom.” He calls to Ranboo before he flies off, gliding down the mountain.

Ranboo looks out over the field one more time, not a last time but another time. 

His shack, the cow pen, Techno’s house, and Techno and Phil. It doesn’t have a name, it has no honour to protect, the field itself is worth little to nothing. It’s because of the company that he likes it here. 

“Ranboo! Get your ass down here or I’ll come get you!”  
Techno calls from below the mountain. 

Ranboo gets up, brushes some snow off his pants, and closes his eyes. Maybe this is what he wants.   
“What took you so long, main character?”  
Techno quips, jokingly. Ranboo opens his eyes and Techno’s face is an open book. A smile splitting it in two amiably. 

“Come one, let’s go, I’m hungry.” Techno turns to the house and Phil follows. 

“Techno, could you teach me to braid my hair?” Techno turns around abruptly, stumbles for a moment. “What? No. That’s ridiculous. I don’t know how to braid hair.” From the edge of his vision he spots his currently-braided-hair and the weak lie is broken immediately. “I mean, if you insist, I guess I could teach you a thing or two.” Ranboo sees Phil hold back his laughter, and starts giggling himself. 

Techno chimes up again, twice as loud as before, “After we eat! I am starving.” 

As they walk inside, Phil asks Techno what he made and Techno responds vaguely. Ranboo watches the two joke, feeling content and realises, yet again, that he likes it here.


End file.
